Gurgaon development agency not to replace existing agencies

At present, Huda per forms the role of government coloniser by acquiring land, planning sectors, carrying out internal development works and allotting plots.Bagish Jha | TNN | November 21, 2016, 10:30 IST

GURGAON: The proposed Gurgaon Development Agency (GDA) will not resolve the problem of multiplicity of authority in the Millennium City , but will just be an addition to the exisiting civic agencies. A top official told TOI on Thursday that MCG, Huda, DTCP and HSIIDC will all continue to exist even after the formation of GDA, but they will be stripped off some of their responsibilities which will be vested with the new development agency .

“All the existing agencies will continue to exist with little change in their role and responsibility . The clarity in jurisdiction is important for citizens to approach the right organisation for redress of grievances and to apportion accountability for failures,“ officer on special duty (OSD) to GDA, V Umashankar, said. The new authority will primarily focus on planning and infrastructure, and coordinate between different agencies.

At present, Huda per forms the role of government coloniser by acquiring land, planning sectors, carrying out internal development works and allotting plots. Along with this, the urban development agency also performs infrastructure development works.

“When a city grows into a metropolis, the infrastructure development role acquires greater primacy in comparison to the estate management role,“ he said. So after the formation of GDA, infrastructure development and maintenance work would be undertaken by the new agency . However, Huda will continue to perform the role of estate management.

Similarly , the department of town and country planning (DTCP) looks after preparation of master plan, and granting permission for change in land use and licence for private real estate development. DTCP would be stripped of its role to prepare master plan after formation of GDA, while it will continue to grant licence to private developers. Quasi-judicial body , Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), will look after the regulatory work, currently done by DTCP.

“GDA would also be responsible for the external development works of projects of private developers. This would also ensure separation of the regulatory role from the developmental role proposed for GDA,“ Umashankar said.

However, HSIIDC and MCG will remain largely unaffected by the formation of GDA. As per the proposed draft, HSIIDC will continue to develop and manage industrial estates till they are handed over to the corporation. However, GDA would have independent powers to take up development of technology parks in new technology areas. “GDA is to act as a facilitator in the ease of doing business by providing a single window service for investors,“ the OSD said.